Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stayed away from a regional leaders summit in Malaysia this week to avoid meeting U.S. President Donald Trump and having a possible discussion about Pakistan, people familiar with the matter said.
Officials in the government were apprehensive that Trump would repeat his claim that he mediated a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after a four-day armed conflict in May, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. India has consistently denied Trump’s involvement.
Relations between India and the U.S. have soured since the Pakistan conflict five months ago, with Trump slapping 50% tariffs on Indian exports in August, half of which is a penalty for the South Asian nation’s purchases of Russian oil. Trade negotiations have dragged on since then, without any clear sign of a deal yet.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.